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Click to see a photo gallery of locally connected stars at the People's Choice Awards (this image of Taylor Swift: Matt Sayles/AP Photo).

A number of locally connected artists went into Wednesday's People's Choice Awards with nominations, but the big Nashville winner news sits with names we've heard a lot lately: Paramore and Taylor Swift.

"You guys seriously have no clue how unbelievably speechless we feel," guitarist Taylor York wrote on Paramore.net. "We could not possibly ask for a better group of dedicated and supportive people to call our fans."

Taylor Swift earned the favorite country artist prize.

"Thank you SO much for the Peoples Choice Award!" Swift said via Twitter. "It's sitting here all sparkly in my hotel room. I love you guys."

Neither win should come as a huge surprise, since the People's Choice Awards are entirely fan-voted, and both local acts have a sizable, rabid fanbase. Swift's fans spoke loudly in particular in 2010, snatching up nearly 3 million copies of her Speak Now album in just 10 weeks and making her the year's top-selling artist, with some 4.4 million albums sold.

Singer Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis and guitarist Taylor York will open up to MTV, though, in an online video feature dubbed Paramore: The Last Word, which will stream at MTV.com starting at 3 p.m. Central on Friday, Jan. 7.

Paramore announced the Farros' departure on December 18, with a statement that said "for the last year it hasn't seemed as if they wanted to be around anymore." On December 22, the Farros' blog post opened up a list of grievances tracing back to the band's beginnings, including feelings that their band was hijacked by a business team that only looked after Williams' interests.

MTV came to Franklin to film The Last Word, and in the interviews, Williams shares her reaction to the Farros' statement.

"It hurts, because what we were told was that they weren't happy, they didn't want to do this, and you can't be mad at someone for not feeling something. ... But then when it really became about all these other things, I was very surprised and kind of felt led on, almost," Williams says. "We've been doing this for six, seven years now. I don't think any of this has been in vain, for any of us ... and I don't think anyone should discredit it."

The desire to open up now, Williams says, comes from wanting to let fans know that the band is OK, despite the changes.

"The three of us are still here, we're not going anywhere," she says. "A lot of kids are still asking if the band is breaking up, and that just goes to show how broken the communication online can be, when rumors start traveling. So this is our way of showing that there's a future and we're stoked for it."

The remaining members of Franklin rock crew Paramore have shared details about the replacements for former members Josh and Zac Farro on an upcoming South American tour.

Famed session player Josh Freese -- who's performed with the likes of Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle, DEVO, Weezer and Guns N' Roses, among many others -- will be taking over drumming duties for Zac Farro. Local musician Justin York -- the brother of Paramore guitarist Taylor York -- will be handling guitar in the wake of Josh's departure. Justin filled Josh's shoes temporarily in early 2010, as the former Paramore member sat out of a Pacific Rim tour to plan his wedding with now-wife Jenna.

Paramore singer Hayley Williams shared some thoughts about the new players with fans via Twitter over the weekend, saying she and her bandmates were "so stoked" about sharing the stage with Freese.

Guitarist Josh Farro and drummer Zac Farro have left Paramore, an update on the Franklin rock band's official website announced Saturday.

"A couple of months ago, Josh and Zac let us know they would be leaving the band after our show in Orlando last Sunday," the item reads. "None of us were really shocked. For the last year it hasn't seemed as if they wanted to be around anymore. We want Josh and Zac to do something that makes them happy and if that isn't here with us, then we support them finding happiness elsewhere."

The announcement also notes that the remaining three members -- singer Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis and guitarist Taylor York -- plan to keep Paramore going.

"We really hope that you can be encouraged by the fact that the three of us who are still here are ready to take on another chapter of our journey together," the post reads. "(The fans) have always been what keeps us going so why would we stop now? We want to stick by you. Knowing that we have a unified passion and a clear vision makes us feel stronger than ever."

The Franklin rock successes will continue on with prior 2011 tour plans, including an upcoming jaunt in South America. They also talked recently about 2011 plans to work on a fourth album, the follow-up to 2009's brand new eyes, which recently earned the band a Grammy nomination in the best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals category. (Williams also earned a nod in the best pop collaboration with vocals category for her team-up with B.o.B. and Eminem, "Airplanes, Part II.")

But when the band held their Tennessee homecoming concert Sunday night, they chose to do so at the Ryman Auditorium — a venue with loads of history and prestige, but not nearly enough seats to accommodate their legion of fans.

The result was a level of concentrated energy that might have rivaled that of the Jonas Brothers' undersized Ryman gig last January. It also gave everyone in the room an up-close view of the force and phenomenon the young quintet has become in a few short years.Continue reading →